Document Server@UHasselt
(3.247 recursos)
Repository of the University of Hasselt containing publications in the fields of statistics, computer science, information strategies and material from the Institute for behavioural sciences.
Mostrando recursos 1 - 20 de 54
1.
Immunoregulation of autoimmunity by natural killer T cells. - Linsen, L.; Somers, V.; STINISSEN, Piet
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a conserved subpopulation of lymphocytes that recognize glycolipid antigens in a CD1d context. Upon activation through their semi-invariant T cell receptor, these cells rapidly release large amounts of immunomodulating Th1 and Th2 cytokines. NKT cells have therefore been implicated in immune responses controlling various diseases, including infection, cancer, transplantation, and autoimmunity. Stimulation of the immunoregulatory capacity of NKT cells by the prototypical antigen ?-galactosylceramide results in amelioration of disease in several animal models. This review will focus on the current knowledge of human NKT cells and their role in autoimmune diseases. The features of...
2.
Leukemia inhibitory factor is produced by myelin-reactive T cells from multiple sclerosis patients and protects against tumor necrosis factor-?-induced oligodendrocyte apoptosis - Vanderlocht, J.; HELLINGS, Niels; HENDRIKS, Jerome; VANDENABEELE, Frank; Moreels, M.; Buntinx, M.; Hoekstra, D.; Antel, J.; STINISSEN, Piet
In multiple sclerosis (MS), damage to oligodendrocytes is believed to be caused by an aberrant immune response initiated by autoreactive Tcells. Increasing evidence indicates that these Tcells are not exclusively detrimental but might also exert protective effects. We report for the first time that myelin-reactive T-cell clones from eight MS patients (6/19) and five healthy controls (4/11) produce leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a member of the neuropoietic family of neurotrophins. In addition, T-cell clones specific for tetanus toxoid, CD4[+] and CD8[+] T cells, and monocytes, but not B cells, secreted LIF. LIF-producing T lymphocytes and macrophages were also identified immunohistochemically...
3.
Current trends in multiple sclerosis research: an update on pathogenic concepts - Vanderlocht, J.; HELLINGS, Niels; HENDRIKS, Jerome; STINISSEN, Piet
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of presumed autoimmune origin which develops in a genetic susceptible individual triggered by additional environmental factors. In this review we will provide an update of basic pathogenic concepts. In addition, we will discuss newly evolving concepts in MS pathogenesis such as pathogenic heterogeneity, importance of axonal loss and the role of CD8+ T lymphocytes in tissue injury. In the last part of this review we will briefly describe currently approved MS treatments and summarize some promising therapeutic approaches that are currently under evaluation.
4.
Effect of alendronate on the age-specific incidence of symptomatic osteoporotic fractures - Hochberg, M.C.; Thompson, D.E.; Black, D.M.; Quandt, S.A.; Cauley, J.; GEUSENS, Piet; Ross, P.D.; Baran, D
Analyses of data from 3658 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis enrolled in the Fracture Intervention Trial showed that alendronate is effective in reducing the risk of symptomatic osteoporotic fractures across a spectrum of ages. Introduction: Most osteoporosis studies examine the relative risk of fracture based on the entire duration of treatment. Because older patients tend to be at higher risk for osteoporosis-related fractures, this analysis examined the effect of alendronate treatment on the relative risk of fracture in terms of the age that patients attained during the study. Materials and Methods: We studied 3658 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis 55-80 years of...
5.
Profiling the autoantibody repertoire by serological antigen selection - SOMERS, Veerle; GOVARTS, Cindy; HELLINGS, Niels; Hupperts, R.; STINISSEN, Piet
The identification of disease related autoantigens targeted by pathogenic T- and B-cell responses is crucial for the development of improved therapies for autoimmune diseases. To identify immunogenic targets recognized by the humoral immune response, we have recently applied a novel and powerful molecular approach, named serological antigen selection (SAS). This method involves the display of a cDNA expression library on filamentous phage and subsequent selection on patient immunoglobulin G (IgG). In the present study, we have cloned a cDNA repertoire from a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient in pVI phage display vectors and performed selections on pooled MS cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)...
6.
Impaired activation-induced telomerase activity in PBMC of early but not chronic rheumatoid arthritis patients - THEWISSEN, Marielle; LINSEN, Loes; GEUSENS, Piet; RAUS, Jef; STINISSEN, Piet
Although telomerase activity is important in normal immune function, it is unclear whether telomerase or telomerase (dys)regulation plays a role in the pathogenic immune response in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we evaluated the dynamics of the activation-induced human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) response in RA patients and non-RA controls. The expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase, hTERT, was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of RA patients and controls after in vitro stimulation with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) using real-time PCR. Anti-CD3 mAb stimulation induced activation and proliferation of the T cells in...
7.
Premature Immunosenescence in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis Patients - THEWISSEN, Marielle; LINSEN, Loes; SOMERS, Veerle; GEUSENS, Piet; RAUS, Jef; STINISSEN, Piet
Patients with T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases show immune system abnormalities that resemble the typical characteristics of autoimmune dysfunction described in the elderly. In addition, the incidence of autoimmune disease increases with advancing age. To evaluate whether patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) have premature immuno-senescence, we measured two indicators of aging: the number of T-cell-receptor excision circles (TRECs) and the percentage of CD4+CD28null T cells. We studied them in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 60 RA patients, 32 MS patients, and 40 healthy controls (HCs). We found that TREC numbers were lower in RA and MS...
8.
Osteoporosis therapy: an example of putting evidence-based medicine into clinical practice - Hosking, D.J.; GEUSENS, Piet; Rizzoli, R.
A major aim of evidence-based medicine is to assist
clinical decision-making by providing the most
current and reliable medical information. Systematic
reviews and meta-analyses are important tools in
this process. Systematic reviews identify and compile
relevant evidence, while meta-analyses summarize
and quantify the results of such reviews.
Results from meta-analyses are, at present, the
main source of summary evidence for the efficacy
of treatments for a specific condition. They are
important tools for helping to choose among
treatment options, although they cannot be used
to directly compare the magnitude of the effect of
various therapies. However, the methods used and
the consequent clinical value of the results, may be
poorly understood by clinicians, who may...
9.
Relationship between changes in BMD and nonvertebral fracture incidence associated with risedronate: Reduction in risk of nonvertebral fracture is not related to change in BMD - Watts, N.B.; GEUSENS, Piet; Barton, I.P.; Felsenberg, D.
Introduction: In untreated patients, low BMD correlates with increased fracture risk. Whether greater increases in BMD induced by anti-osteoporosis drugs are related to greater decreases in vertebral fracture risk is controversial, and little has been written about the relationship between change in BMD and nonvertebral fracture risk. We analyzed the relationship between BMD change and nonvertebral fracture incidence using individual patient data from postmenopausal osteoporotic women receiving antiresorptive treatment with risedronate. Materials and Methods: This posthoc analysis combined data from three pivotal risedronate fracture endpoint trials. Women received risedronate 2.5 or 5 mg (n = 2561) or placebo (n =...
10.
Hip bone mineral density, bone turnover and risk of fracture in patients on long-term suppressive L-thyroxine therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma - Heijckmann, A.C.; Huijberts, M.S.P.; GEUSENS, Piet; de Vries, J.; Menheere, P.P.C.A.; Wolffenbuttel, B.H.R.
Objective: Untreated hyperthyroidism and treatment with high doses of thyroid hormone are associated with osteoporosis. However, their effect on bone turnover, their contribution to bone mineral density (BMD) in the context of other clinical risk factors for osteoporosis and the prevalence of vertebral fractures is not well documented. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We studied 59 patients receiving L-thyroxine suppressive therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). BMD of the hip was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and lateral DXA pictures of the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae were performed. Bone resorption was measured by C-telopeptides of type I collagen (ICTP) and...
11.
Leukemia inhibitory factor is produced by myelin-reactive T cells from multiple sclerosis patients and protects against tumor necrosis factor-?-induced oligodendrocyte apoptosis - VANDERLOCHT, Joris; HELLINGS, Niels; HENDRIKS, Jerome; VANDENABEELE, Frank; MOREELS, Marjan; Buntinx, M.; Hoekstra, D.; Antel, J.; STINISSEN, Piet
In multiple sclerosis (MS), damage to oligodendrocytes is believed to be caused by an aberrant immune response initiated by autoreactive Tcells. Increasing evidence indicates that these Tcells are not exclusively detrimental but might also exert protective effects. We report for the first time that myelin-reactive T-cell clones from eight MS patients (6/19) and five healthy controls (4/11) produce leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a member of the neuropoietic family of neurotrophins. In addition, T-cell clones specific for tetanus toxoid, CD4[+] and CD8[+] T cells, and monocytes, but not B cells, secreted LIF. LIF-producing T lymphocytes and macrophages were also identified immunohistochemically...
12.
Current trends in multiple sclerosis research: an update on pathogenic concepts - VANDERLOCHT, Joris; HELLINGS, Niels; HENDRIKS, Jerome; STINISSEN, Piet
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of presumed autoimmune origin which develops in a genetic susceptible individual triggered by additional environmental factors. In this review we will provide an update of basic pathogenic concepts. In addition, we will discuss newly evolving concepts in MS pathogenesis such as pathogenic heterogeneity, importance of axonal loss and the role of CD8+ T lymphocytes in tissue injury. In the last part of this review we will briefly describe currently approved MS treatments and summarize some promising therapeutic approaches that are currently under evaluation.
13.
Immunoregulation of autoimmunity by natural killer T cells. - LINSEN, Loes; SOMERS, Veerle; STINISSEN, Piet
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a conserved subpopulation of lymphocytes that recognize glycolipid antigens in a CD1d context. Upon activation through their semi-invariant T cell receptor, these cells rapidly release large amounts of immunomodulating Th1 and Th2 cytokines. NKT cells have therefore been implicated in immune responses controlling various diseases, including infection, cancer, transplantation, and autoimmunity. Stimulation of the immunoregulatory capacity of NKT cells by the prototypical antigen ?-galactosylceramide results in amelioration of disease in several animal models. This review will focus on the current knowledge of human NKT cells and their role in autoimmune diseases. The features of...
14.
Effect of alendronate on the age-specific incidence of symptomatic osteoporotic fractures - Hochberg, M.C.; Thompson, D.E.; Black, D.M.; Quandt, S.A.; Cauley, J.; GEUSENS, Piet; Ross, P.D.; Baran, D
Analyses of data from 3658 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis enrolled in the Fracture Intervention Trial showed that alendronate is effective in reducing the risk of symptomatic osteoporotic fractures across a spectrum of ages. Introduction: Most osteoporosis studies examine the relative risk of fracture based on the entire duration of treatment. Because older patients tend to be at higher risk for osteoporosis-related fractures, this analysis examined the effect of alendronate treatment on the relative risk of fracture in terms of the age that patients attained during the study. Materials and Methods: We studied 3658 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis 55-80 years of...
15.
The intron-containing genome of the lytic Pseudomonas phage LUZ24 resembles the temperate phage PaP3 - Ceyssens, PJ; Hertveldt, K; Ackermann, HW; NOBEN, Jean-Paul; Demeke, M; Volckaert, G; Lavigne, R
The virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage LUZ24 (45,625 bp) was isolated from hospital sewage. It belongs to the family of the Podoviridae, and carries a bidirectionally transcribed dsDNA genome delineated by two direct terminal repeats of 184 bp. In vitro transcriptional analysis identified seven sigma(70) promoters, revealing a bias towards stronger promoter strength in the late genomic region. Reverse transcription demonstrated in vivo splicing of a 668 bp Group I intron embedded inside the DNA polymerase gene. Using mass spectrometry, nine structural proteins were identified as part of the phage particle. The lytic characteristics of LUZ24 are evaluated against its genomic...
16.
Impact of Systematic Implementation of a Clinical case finding strategy on diagnosis and therapy of postmenopausal osteoporosis - Dinant, Geert Jan; GEUSENS, Piet; Dumitrescu, B; Van Geel, T; Van Helden, J; VANHOOF, Johan; Dinant, GJ
Introduction: Case finding for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is advocated in guidelines of osteoporosis, but implementation is unsatisfactory. We studied, in daily practice, the impact of systematic implementation of a previously validated clinical decision rule and fracture history on referral for bone densitometry (DXA) and drug prescription for osteoporosis. Materials and Methods: Before-after impact analysis in 41,478 consecutive consulting postmenopausal women, included by 1080 general practitioners (GPs) during 2 mo, using the osteoporosis self-assessment (OST) index (based on age and weight, indicating women at low [LR], moderate [MR], and high risk [HR] for having osteoporosis [T-score < -2.5 in spine...
17.
Tovaxin, radiation-attenuated, patient-specific T-cells for the therapeutic vaccination of multiple sclerosis - HELLINGS, Niels; STINISSEN, Piet
Opexa Pharmaceuticals Inc is developing Tovaxin, a trivalent formulation of attenuated myelin-peptide-reactive T-cells, for the potential treatment of multiple sclerosis. Tovaxin is being evaluated in phase II clinical trials. Opexa was previously investigating Tovaxin for the potential treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; however, no development has been reported for this indication since December 2002.
18.
Drug Insight: choosing a drug treatment strategy for women with osteoporosis - an evidence-based clinical perspective - GEUSENS, Piet; Roux, CH; Reid, DM; Lems, WF; Adami, S; Adachi, JD; Sambrook, PN; Saag, KG; Lane, NE; Hochberg, MC
Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated drug treatment for women at high risk of fracture, with a reduction in fracture risk as their end point. There has also been progress in identifying women at the highest risk of fractures. The most important clinical determinant contributing to the clinical decision of initiating and choosing drug therapy for fracture prevention is a woman's fracture risk, which, in RCTs, was determined by menopausal state, age, bone mineral density, fracture history, fall risks and glucocorticoid use. Women with secondary osteoporosis were excluded, except in studies of glucocorticoid use. A second determinant of drug...
19.
Treatment of missing values for multivariate statistical analysis of gel-based proteomics data - Pedreschi, Romina; Hertog, Maarten L. A. T. M.; Carpentier, Sebastien C.; Lammertyn, Jeroen; ROBBEN, Johan; NOBEN, Jean-Paul; Panis, B.; Swennen, R.; Nicolai, B.M.
The presence of missing values in gel-based proteomics data represents a real challenge if an objective statistical analysis is pursued. Different methods to handle missing values were evaluated and their influence is discussed on the selection of important proteins through multivariate techniques. The evaluated methods consisted of directly dealing with them during the multivariate analysis with the nonlinear estimation by iterative partial least squares (NIPALS) algorithm or imputing them by using either k-nearest neighbor or Bayesian principal component analysis (BPCA) before carrying out the multivariate analysis. These techniques were applied to data obtained from gels stained with classical postrunning dyes...
20.
Variability of polymorphic families of three types of xylanase inhibitors in the wheat grain proteome - Courtin, CM; CROES, Kristof; Gebruers, K.; ROBBEN, Johan; NOBEN, Jean-Paul; Samyn, B.; Debyser, G.; Van Beeumen, J.; Delcour, CM
Cereals contain proteinaceous inhibitors of endo-beta-1,4-xylanases (E.C.3.2.1.8, xylanases). Since these xylanase inhibitors (XIs) are only active against xylanases of microbial origin and do not interact with plant endogenous xylanases, they are believed to act as a defensive barrier against phytopathogenic attack. So far, three types of XIs have been identified, i.e. Triticum aestivum XI (TAXI), xylanase inhibiting protein (XIP), and thaumatin-like XI (TIXI) proteins. In this study the variation in XI forms present in wheat grain was elucidated using high-resolution 2-DE in combination with LC-ESI-MS/MS and biochemical techniques. Reproducible 2-DE fingerprints of TAXI-, XIP-, and TIXI-type XIs, selectively purified from...
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